Axios PM: Top witnesses undermine Chauvin defense

Plus: Electric vehicle sales surge | Monday, April 05, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By UnitedHealth Group   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·Apr 05, 2021 Good afternoon: Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 470 words, a 2-minute read.     1 big thing: Top witnesses undermine Chauvin defense Dr. Bradford Langenfeld. Photo: Court TV via CNN The Minneapolis doctor who declared George Floyd dead testified today that it's more likely Floyd died of oxygen deprivation than a heart attack or drug overdose. His testimony was followed by the Minneapolis police chief, who said Chauvin acted against his training and violated a "duty to care" for anyone in custody, regardless of whether they're a suspect. The big picture: Dr. Bradford Langenfeld and Chief Medaria Arradondo's testimonies push back against key aspects of the defense's case. Langenfeld testified that Floyd didn't show specific symptoms that would be common after a heart attack or signs of drug toxins in his system, Axios' Shawna Chen reports. The county medical examiner ruled in 2020 that Floyd died of cardiac arrest. Langenfeld said today the most common causes of the type of sudden cardiac arrest Floyd suffered are blood loss and oxygen deprivation, making asphyxia a likely contributor to Floyd's death. Arradondo testified that Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck was "not de-escalation." He added that Floyd's repeated cries of distress — "I can't breathe" — should have stopped Chauvin. "There is an initial reasonableness in trying to just get him under control in the first few seconds. But once there was no longer any resistance, and clearly when Mr. Floyd was no longer responsive, and even motionless, to continue to apply that level of force to a person proned-out, handcuffed behind their back. That, in no way, shape or form is anything that is by policy. It is not a part of our training." Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo. Photo: Court TV via AP     2. Electric vehicle sales surge Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Photo: Liesa Johannssen-Koppitz/Bloomberg via Getty Images   Tesla isn't the only electric vehicles manufacturer notching wins in 2021, reports Axios Generate author Ben Geman. It beat analyst expectations with 184,800 deliveries. Ford said in a separate release that it sold 6,614 in the U.S. despite what amounts to a cameo on dealer lots so far. GM reported that U.S. Q1 sales of its Bolt EV are up over 50% compared to last year. The big picture: Over 181,000 fully electric vehicles were sold worldwide in February, up 138% compared to February 2020, per Morgan Stanley and data partner EV-Volumes. And January's numbers were even higher.     A message from UnitedHealth Group Meet the 21st century health workforce     Ashley Kyalwazi is getting her medical degree to improve health care for underserved populations. Ashley is one of nearly 3,000 Diverse Scholars supported by the United Health Foundation to pursue a career in health care. Find out more.     3. Catch up quick Cruise companies won't need to mandate vaccines in order to resume travel safely, the CDC said. The federal government won't mandate vaccine passports for travelers or businesses post-pandemic, Anthony Fauci told the Politico Dispatch podcast. The Supreme Court ruled 6-2 in favor of Google in its long-running copyright dispute with Oracle. Go deeper. Vladimir Putin signed a law letting him seek additional presidential terms in 2024 and 2030. Scoop: A Democrat-aligned advocacy group is kicking off a six-figure campaign backing President Biden's mammoth infrastructure spending measure — starting with ads targeting constituents of Sens. Joe Manchin and Susan Collins, Axios' Lachlan Markay reports.     4. 1 smile to go Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images First lady Jill Biden gives a tulip to the Easter Bunny after President Joe Biden delivered remarks about Easter at the White House. The year's traditional Easter Egg Roll was canceled due to COVID.     A message from UnitedHealth Group Building the 21st century health workforce     Since 2007, the United Health Foundation has provided nearly 3,000 scholarships to help aspiring medical professionals become part of a health workforce that can: Increase access to care. Address health disparities. Improve health outcomes. Learn more.     Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: